Train control apparatus



Oct 24-, 1933. 'r, H. THOMAS 1,932,026

TRAIN CONTROL APPARATUS Original Filed July '7, 1928 INVENTOR. T HOMAS H.THOMAS,EIECEASED MABLE MTHOMASEXECUTRIX A TTORNEX T 5;' of the train control apparatus when Patented Oct. 24, 1933 UNITED STATES TRAIN CONTROL APPARATUS Tliomas'H. Thomas, deceased, late of Edgewood, Pa., by Mable M. Thomas, executrix, Ithaca, N. Y., assignorto The Westinghouse Air Brake Company, Wilmerding, Pa., a corporation of lennsylvania Original application July 7, 1928, Serial No.- 290,917. "Dividedand this application March 5, 1932. Serial N0.'596,970 v 4 Claims, (01'. 246-183) This invention relates to railway traffic con- 7 trolling apparatus and more" particularly to the type in which train carried governing apparatus is controlled by energy'received from the track- 5 way, the present application being a division of application, Serial No. 290,917, filed July 7, 1928 In a train control apparatus of theabove character, the locomotive is equipped with brake governing apparatus which is operative, when the 10; trailic conditions become unfavorable, to effect an 'application'of the brakes; J

'One object of the invention is to provide improved means whereby the engineer may prevent the brakes from beingapplied by operation the traffic conditions become unfavorable. V

Another object of the invention is to provide a brake application magnet device controlled'by.

traiiic conditions for, elfecting an application of the brakes, and means controlledby the engineer and including a switch carried by said magnet device, whereby the engineer may prevent the brakes from" being applied by operation of the train control apparatus when the traflic condi- 5tions become unfavorable. 1

Another object of the invention is to provide a .magnet device operative upon deenergizationto effect an application of the brakes, a plurality of slow acting relays successivelycontrolling each 'cther, one of said relays controlling said magnet device and another being controlled by traffic conditions, and means operative b'y the engineer during the period of time required for the successive deenergization of said relays andprior to deenergization of said magnet device, for preventing deenergization of said magnet device when the trafiic conditions become unfavorable.

Other objects and advantages will appear in the is a diagrammatic View of brake governing apparatus. carried on the locomotive and, embodying the invention,

I As shown in thedrawingythe brakeidvernin apparatus comprises a magnet device 38which,

when the traffic conditions become unfavorable, is deenergized; to eifect an application of the 7 v brakes. NVhen the .trafiic conditions are favorable, themagnet device 38, is energizedand adapted to permit a release of the brakes. As a brake apparatus adapted to be controlled by the magnet device 38 is disclosed in the pending apfollowing more detailed description of the invenedging relay and decoding relay that normally,-

plication above referred to, it is. deemed unnecessary to explain the function of said magnet device more in detail in the present application.

' The magnetdevice 38 is in circuit with wires 40 .and 41 and is providedwith an upwardly projecting stem49 carrying at its outer end a switch 50 which is subject to the pressure'of a spring 48. Upon energization of magnet 38, the contact 50 is adapted to be moved into engagement with the contact end of wires 51 and 52, while upon deenergization of said magnet, spring 48 is adapted to move switch 50 out of engagement with the contact end of wires 51 and 52.

The current for operating the, magnet 38 is supplied by a battery 53,. and the circuit through said magnet is controlled by a cascaderelay comprising two relaymagnets 54 and-55, which are adapted to operateswitches 56 and 5'7 respectively.

The magnets 54 and 55 are so designed as to be slow acting, that is, there is a time delay between thejopening of the circuit through each of said magnets and the operation of the switches 56 and 5'7 controlled by'said magnets. The circuit through the magnet 54 is controlled by the switch 57 carried by magnet 55, while the cir-V 80 cuit through said latter magnet is adapted to be controlled by a manually operated acknowledging switch comprising a handle 58 secured to and adapted to operate two switch contact fingers 59 and. 60.

The circuit through magnet 55 is further con trolled by an acknowledging relay comprising a magnet 61 and three contact fingers 62, 63 and V the track condition or signal indication, comprises a magnet 65 and two contact fingers'66 and 6'7, the contact finger 66 beingconnected by wire 40 to the positive terminal of the electric battery 53, while the contact finger 67 is connected by wire 73 to the negative terminal of said battery.

A signal 69, preferably in the form. of a light, is

located in the operators cab of a locomotive, and is so connected'by wires 70 and '71 to the acknowlasrwhen the track conditions are favorable, said light will be lit, but upon a change intrack con-. ditions, as from favorable to unfavorable, said light will go out.

In operation, whenthe track conditions are favorable, the decoding relay magnet 65 is enerrgized and therefore holds the contact fingersjGG; and 67in the position shown in the drawing, while thecircuit through the acknowledging relay magnet 61 is open, since the contact finger 67 of; 0

all 1 the decoding relay is in a position in which wire 72 from the acknowledging relay magnet 61 is disconnected from wire 73 leading to the negative terminal of battery 53.

With the decoding relay magnet 65 energized, the acknowledging relay magnet 61 deenergized and the acknowledging switch fingers 59 and 60 in the normal position, as shown in the drawing, a circuit is closed through the cascade relay magnet 55 by way of wire from the battery 53, switch finger 66 of the decoding relay, ,wire 71, switch finger 63 of the acknowledging relay, wire 74, acknowledging switch finger 60, wire'75, mag- H net 55, wire 76, acknowledging relay switch finger 64, wire 70, decoding relay switch finger 67 and wire 73 to the negative pole of battery 53. Energization of magnet 55 shifts switch 57 so as to connect wires 40 and 77, thereby closing a circuit through the cascade relay magnet 54' by way of wire 46 from the positive terminal of battery 53, switch 57, wire 77, magnet 54 and wire 73 connected to the negative pole of battery 53. The mag net 54is thus energized 'andcauses switch 56 to operate and connect wires 41 and 73, thereby closing a circuit through the application magnet 38, by way of wire 40, application magnet 38, wire 41, switch 56, wire 73 and the battery 53, thus energizing said application magnet.

With the apparatus in the clear track condition 7 above described, the cab signal light 69 is lighted, since the light wires 71 and 70 are connected to the opposite poles of battery 53 through the contact fingers 66 and 670i the decoding relay and wires 46 and 73. V

When the magnet device 38 is energized as just described, the switch 50 connects wires 51 and 52, and the brakes are adapted to be released.

If the track conditions become unfavorable, the decoding relay magnet 65 becomes deenergized, thereby permitting the contact ringers 66 and 67 to drop and connect with wires 52 and 72. This interrupts the circuit tothe cab signal light 69 through wires '70 and 71, causing the signal light to go out, soas to reveal to the engineer the unfavorable track conditions.

Since the circuit through'the cascade relay magnet 55 is normally closed in the same manner that the cab signal light circuit is closed, the change in signal indication causes magnet to become deenergized. However, the energizing circuit through the cascade relay magnet 54 remains closed for a period of time, since in accordance with the design of magnet 55, there is a predetermined lapse of time between the opening of circuit through said magnet and obtaining sufiicient deenergization thereof to permit the switch 57 to shift and disconnect wires 40 and '77 and thus open the circuit through the magnet 54. Then after another lapse of time, sul'licient to "deenergize magnet 54, the switch 56 moves down and opens the circuit through theapplication magnet38. The reason for the delay in deenergization of magnets 54 and 55 after the circuit through said magnets is opened, will be herein-- after described. I

When the circuit through magnet 38 is opened as just described, said magnet becomes deenergized and effeets'an application of the brakes,

, and at the same time spring 43 moves switch 50 out of engagementwith the contact end of wires 51 and 52, the reason for which will "be hereinafter explained;

If it is desired to prevent denergizationof magnet' 38 when the decoding relay magnet becomes deenergized upon a change in traffic conin raised position,

ditions as indicated by the cab signal light 69 going out, as hereinbefore described, the operator shifts the acknowledging switch contacts 59 and 60 downwardly by movement of the handle 58.

In the downward position of the acknowledging switch, the contact 60 disconnects wires and 74 through which the circuit to the cascade magnet 55 was closed prior to deenergization of the decoding relay magnet 65. In this downward position, the other switch contact 59 connects wires 51 and 93, thereby closing a circuit through the acknowledging relay magnet 61 by way of wire re from the positive terminal of battery 53, switch arm 66 of the decoding relay, wire 52, the application magnet switch 50, wire 51, acknowledging switch arm 59, wire 93, acknowledging relay magnet 61, wire 72, decoding relay switch arm 67 and wire '73 l ading to the negative pole of battery 53.

Closing a circuit through the acknowledging relay magnet 61 energizes same, which causes the switch arms 62, 63 and 64 to be pulled upwardly to their raised position. With the arm 62 a stick circuit is closed through the acknowledging relay magnet 61 by way'or" battery 53, wire 46, arm 62 (raised), relay magnet 61, wire 72, decoding relay switch arm 67 (dropped), and wire 73 to battery '53. The acknowledging switch arms 59 and 60 are then returned to the normal position as shown in the drawing. 1

When the acknowledging switch is returned to its normal position and with the acknowledging relay magnet 61 energized as just described, the circuit is again closed through the cascade relay magnet 55 by way of wire 40 from the positive terminal of the battery 53, acknowledg ing relay magnet switch arm 63, wire 74, acknowledging switch arm 60, wire 75, cascade relay magnet 55, wire 76, acknowledging relay magnet switch arm 64 and wire 73 to the negative pole of battery 53. Reclosing the circuit through magnet 55 closes the circuit through magnet 54 in case the latter circuit is opened. Magnet 54 then being energized maintains the application -magnet 38energized.

It should be noted that the circuit through the cascade relay magnet 55 is opened as soon as the decoding relay magnet 65 is deenergized, but that the application magnet. 38 is not deenergized until a predetermined time after the deenergization of said decoding relay magnet 65 by a change in signal indication in the manner hereinbefore described. It is during this time period that the engineer must acknowledge the change in signal indication, if he wishes to prevent deenergization of magnet 38 and a consequent automatic application of the brakes.

. In acknowledging a change in signal indication, the circuit closed in energizing the acknowledging relay magnet 61 is controlled through the application magnet switch 50, so that in case the engineer fails to acknowledge before deenergization of the magnet 38 and the consequent upward movement of switch 50, then the brake application is caused automatically in the manner hereinbefore described and is thus out of the control of the engineer.

In case an application of the brakes is automatically effected by deenergization of magnet 38, the application can not be released until the track conditions return to favorable, which then causes the decoding relay magnet 65 to become energized. The energization of magnet 65 returns the switch arms 66 and 67 to their normal position shown in the drawing, in which posi' tion, wires '72 and 73 are disconnected, thereby opening the circuit through the acknowledging relay magnet 61. Said magnet is thereby deenergized and drops the switch arms 62, 63 and 64 to their normal position. With the decoding and acknowledging relay magnets 65 and 61 returned to their normal position, the circuit is closed through the slow acting relay 55 and consequently through relay 54 and magnet 38 in the same manner as hereinbefore described, thereby ener-' gizing magnet 38 and permitting a the brakes to be effected.

It will be evident that the time betweenthe change in signal indication and the deenergization of magnet 38, during which the engineer must operate the acknowledging switch 58 to prevent deenergization of magnet 38, is equal to the sum of the lag or delay in deenergization of the cascade relay magnets 55 and 54 from the time the circuits through said magnets are opened. For instance, there may be a two second delay from the time the circuit through magnet 55 is opened until the downward movement of the switch 57. With a like delay in magnet 54, there would be an interval of four seconds between the change in signal indication and the opening of the circuit through the application magnet 38. Thus, according to the interval desired, the number of magnets used, similar to magnets 54 and 55, may be varied, or the design of said magnets may be changed in order to effect the delay time desired.

It will now be noted that a magnet device is provided for controlling the brakes and is governed by a plurality of slow acting relays which are operative upon a change in traflic conditions to provide a predetermined delay period before the deenergization of said magnet device. An acknowledging switch is provided and is operative by the engineer during'this delay period to prevent the deenergization of the magnet device. This magnet device carries a switch which is disposed in the acknowledging circuit, so that the time limit for acknowledging expires upon the deenergization of saidmagnet.

While one illustrative embodiment of the invention has been described in" detail, it is not the intention to limit its scope to that embodiment or otherwise than by the terms of the appended claims. v I

Having now described the invention, what is claimed as'new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent, is:

1. In a train control release of apparatus, the combination with electrically controlled means for controlling the brakes, of a slow acting magnet device for controlling said electrically controlled means, another slow acting magnet device controlled by trafic conditions for controlling the first mentioned slow acting magnet device, a manually operated switch for controlling the second mentioned slow-acting magnet device, and

means associated with said electrically controlled means for rendering said manually operated switch effective or ineffective to control the second mentioned slow acting magnet device.

2. In a train control apparatus, the combination with electrically controlled means operative upon deenergization to effect an application of the brakes, a slow acting magnet device operative upon deenergization to effect the deenergization of said electrically controlled means, another slow acting magnet device controlled by traffic conditions and operative upon deenergization to effect the deenergization of the first mentioned slow acting magnet device, a manually operated switch said means comprising a slow acting magnet device for controlling the application magnet device, and another slow acting magnet device subject to changes in trafiic conditions for controlling the first mentioned slow acting magnet device, and means for preventing the deenergization of said application magnet device upon a change in traffic conditions, the last mentioned .means comprising anelectrically controlled device operative to efiect the energization of the second mentioned slow acting magnet device, a

normally closed switch carried bysaid application magnet device and amanually operated switch arranged in series'with said normally closed switch and operative to effect the operation of said electrically controlled device, said application magnet device beingadapted upon deenergization to open theswitchcarried thereby.

4. In a train control apparatus, the combination with a magnet device operative upon deenergization to effect an application of the brakes, aslow acting magnet operative upon deenergization to effect the deenergization of said magnet device, means operative upon a change in signal. indication for opening the circuit through said slow acting magnet, a switch operated by said magnet device, and means in circuit with said switch andmanually operative after a change in signal indication and priorto the deenergization of said slow acting magnet for closing a circuit through said slow acting magnet. 

